ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - A year into a statewide literacy push, Georgia education officials say they’re feeling hopeful.

At Michael R. Hollis Innovation Academy in Atlanta, the difference is evident in the classrooms, where students read aloud in unison.

The school is one of 60 low-performing elementary schools that received a state-funded literacy coach last year. Coach Ebony Fulgham moves between classrooms, working with both teachers and students.

“We bounce ideas off of each other, and they’re open to feedback, and I’m open to new ideas as well,” Fulgham said.

According to the Georgia Department of Education, schools with a literacy coach saw an average 15% improvement in reading scores. Hollis posted a 29-point jump in the number of third graders reading at or above gra

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